Faculty/Staff

Dr. Nower is a Professor and Director of the Center for Gambling Studies. Her research focuses on the etiology and treatment of problem and pathological gambling and co-morbid addictive disorders, gambling-related policy issues, psychometric measurement, and elements of recovery. Dr. Nower has served as an NIH pre-doctoral fellow, a Fulbright fellow, and a research intern at the National Research Council at the National Academies. She is currently Co-Editor of International Gambling Studies and a consultant and grant reviewer for international, national and state agencies. Dr. Nower is also a member of the legislative and research boards and a clinical supervisor for the National Council on Problem Gambling in Washington D.C. A former criminal prosecutor, she serves as a forensic consultant in state and federal court cases involving gambling-related crimes. Current research includes developing a sub-group specific screening instrument for problem gamblers, exploring risk and resiliency factors among youth gamblers, and developing diversion programs for individuals charged with gambling-related crimes. Dr. Nower has also co-authored several policy initiatives, including a model for self-exclusion programs and an industry framework promoting informed-choice ingambling venues.

Dr. Anthonyis a Research Associate at the Center for Gambling Studies. Dr. Anthony’s research centers on substance abuse and behavioral addictions, with a focus on video game addiction, and other pathological behaviors related to internet use. Specifically, her research explores the etiology and risk mechanisms of internet and video game addiction, and develops and tests interventions that can ameliorate problem behaviors among adolescents and young adults. Her research interest stems from her practice and research experience with youth and young adults in China and the United States. Her past and current studies have examined characteristics of problematic internet use and video gaming behaviors among U.S. young adults. She has also adapted and pilot tested a mindfulness-based intervention for video game addiction among young adults. In addition, her work investigates the role of substance abuse and addictions in interpersonal violence.

Devin Mills, Ph.D.

Dr. Mills is Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Center for Gambling Studies (CGS) at Rutgers University. Prior to joining the CGS, he was a member of the Development and Intrapersonal Resilience Research Team at McGill University. Devin completed his PhD in Educational Psychology at McGill University during the summer of 2017. His dissertation applied Self-Determination Theory (SDT) to the growing area of Internet Gaming Disorder. Broadly speaking, his research interests surround further applications of SDT to behavioral addictions. Within the CGS, Devin is contributing to various ongoing projects aimed at further understanding the etiology of gambling disorder as well as conducting studies that build upon previous applications of SDT to gambling disorder.

Dmitriy Nikitin, MSPHDmitriy Nikitin is a research project coordinator at the Center for Gambling Studies. Prior to joining the Center, Dmitriy served as a researcher at the Internet Tobacco Vendor Study at UNC Chapel Hill and a research fellow at the State Innovation Exchange. His research experience includes tobacco regulatory science and opioid policy. Dmitriy holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Health Policy from UC Irvine and a Masters of Science in Public Health Policy from UNC Chapel Hill.

Addam Reynolds, MSW

Addam Reynolds is a graduate research assistant at the Center for Gambling Studies within the Rutgers School of Social work. Addam earned his masters in social work in May of 2017. Prior to joining the team at the Center for Gambling Studies, Addam was a research coordinator at Princeton University in the Department of Athletic Medicine on a large, multi-site concussion research project. Addam’s current research interests are broad and still developing, but include aging, health and poverty. Addam hopes in his tenure at the Center of Gambling Studies to further explore the intersection of aging and gambling behaviors.

Jackie Stanmyre, MSW, LCSW, LCADC

Jackie Stanmyre is the Program Coordinator for and a Teaching Instructor in the Addiction Counselor Training (ACT) Certificate Program within the Rutgers University School of Social Work. She is licensed in the state of New Jersey as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LCADC). Prior to joining the Rutgers faculty, she worked in various treatment agencies addressing issues of substance abuse, mental illness and criminal behavior, first as a clinician and most recently as a clinical supervisor. As a masters-level research assistant, she explored topics including the utility of “hope” and “resilience” in recovery from addiction, the prevalence of addiction articles in social work literature, and remote counseling and treatment needs of Alaska Natives. She assisted Dr. Lia Nower with preparing a report for former Gov. Christie on prevalence, demographics, harm reduction strategies and mental health implications of internet gambling, in the state’s preparation for pending legislation.

E. A. Peters is a research analyst at the Center for Gambling Studies with the Rutgers School of Social Work. Prior to joining the Center, she was responsible for data management and statistical analysis for the Research and Policy Division at The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse. She brings years of experience with large datasets to the Center for Gambling Studies.